The REFUEL EU road map for biofuels in transport: Application of the project’s tools to some short-term policy issues

• The current hot debate on biofuels calls for a balanced and realistic long-term strategy forbiofuels. The REFUEL project provides several ingredients for such a strategy. Analyses inthis project indicate that domestically produced biofuels can cover a significant share of EUfuel demand in the coming decades, with the EU-12 new member states and Ukraine asmost promising regions. This potential can be realised with residual streams and onexisting agricultural land, without conversion of e.g. nature reserves. Second generationbiofuels are essential for the long-term success of biofuels due to their superior performancein many ways. But generally, the key challenge for the near future would be how toenhance the development of biofuels in a responsible way, i.e. stimulating the productionchains with the best performance, and preventing negative impacts e.g., by paying carefulattention to possible system impacts of biofuel production such as indirect land usechanges and rising food prices. Finally, 2nd generation biofuels require specific policy: theprecursor role of 1st generation is overrated, both in technical terms as well as in their roleas market precursors. When it comes to synergies, 2nd generation biofuels might benefitmore from other developments in the energy sector, such as initiatives in co-firing ofbiomass for (heat and) power, than from 1st generation biofuels, also because of the publicresistance that the latter induce.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Naturresursteknik -- Annan naturresursteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Environmental Engineering -- Other Environmental Engineering (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Övrig annan samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Strategy

Biofuels

Resource potentials

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)